=1= Make Poverty History

I like to take the lazy way when it comes to causes. Like leaving clothes on my steps for the Diabetes Association to pick up, or like leaving empty wine and beer bottles out back of my apartment for a homeless guy to take at 4 in the morning. Or, I send pre-written emails to my local and national political leaders. So I sent one recently to the PM and to Brian Murphy, MP Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe asking for commitment at the G8 Summit in Russia in July. I have never before received a reply to these emails (and I've written a lot of them, or rather...sent a lot of them) and I have certainly never received a reply from the PM's office. But this time I got one back from Brian Murphy. So this means that he either got a lot of these emails and sent out a mass one OR I was the only one and he just sent one to me (doubtfully that is what happened). I like his answer though. I like that it exists and I like that he bitches a little about the Conservatives and I especially like that he agrees with my request to make poverty history.


August 1st , 2006

Dear Ms. E---:

Thank you for your recent email in which you expressed your wishes for
the G8 Summit and AIDS conference.

I strongly believe that the goals made at Gleneagles are worthy policies
and should be brought into effect immediately. Increased aid, better
AIDS treatment, enhanced primary education, debt cancellation, reducing
the deaths of children from malaria and more effective trade deals are
all important to the growth of developing countries.

Over the past several years, Canada has become a leader in combating
poverty, especially in Africa, not only in aid but also in efficient and
effective means of delivering this aid. In the 2005 Budget, the Liberal
Government committed to doubling our international assistance over the
next five years. While I am encouraged that the Conservative government
has adopted this commitment, I am disappointed that the doubling of
international assistance to Africa has not continued. Further, I was
discouraged that the Conservatives cut $47 million to the prevention and
eradication of AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Polio. Finally, there was
no commitment in the budget to reduce developing countries debt. In the
2005 Budget, $172 million was allotted for a debt relief initiative for
the world's poorest countries plus an additional $34 million
contribution was made to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt
relief initiative.

I strongly believe that Canada should strive to reach the goal of
committing 0.7% of its GNP to foreign aid by the year 2015. Therefore, I
was disheartened that the Conservative budget had no substantial
commitment to increase foreign aid or eradicating global poverty.

Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue.
Yours truly,

Brian Murphy, MP
Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe